Device for baling paper or the like



July 7, 1964 L. SANDERS DEVICE FOR BALING PAPER OR THE LIKE I NVEN TOR. o1/,err Sh/vof M, www

United States Patent O 3,139,814 DEVICE FOR BALING PAPER R THE LIKE Lovett Sanders, South Milwaukee, Wis., assigner tot Small Business Administration, Washington, D.C. Filed Apr. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 186,790 13 Claims. (Cl. 10G- 34) This invention relates to a device for baling paper or the like.

The invention consists of a paper baling device having a platform, a removable spindle held by a spindle clamp, a pivoted upper lever, slotted to pass the spindle and counterweighted for ease of operation, a string attachment plate secured to the spindle, and string extending from a pair of string storage receptacles over the platform and down along the spindle to the string attachment means.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device of my invention on line 1 1 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the device of my invention on lines 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device of my invention with the upper portion broken away.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the device of my invention at the time the spindle is withdrawn.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view through the bale of paper produced by my device, showing the manner in which the string is secured.

As shown in the drawings, my invention consists generally of a table having a top consisting of complementary sheets 11 curved upwardly from their centers to their ends, and bounded at their inner edges by curved bars 12, spaced to define a central slot 13. The spindle, indicated generally as 14, extends through slot 13 to a point substantially above bars 12, and terminates in a removable point 15 of a shape which is designed to pierce sheets of cardboard or other waste paper readily. Point 15 may desirably have a conical tip 16 and a truncated conical shaped base 17, so that the enlarged central diameter 18 of the tip 15 assists in retaining pierced paper and cardboard on spindle 14 when there is upward pressure from accumulated paper on spindle 14 and the upper lever arm is lifted for insertion of still more paper. As shown in FIG. l, papers A are bent upwardly when pierced by the spindle, and this bent flange bears against the enlarged portion of the tip. The tension is not great enough to interfere with removal of the bale because of rustoconical portion 17 of the tip 15.

Table 10 is provided with a central cross brace member 20 which supports socket 21 to receive spindle 14.

Secured to the under side of bars 12 are a pair of clamp supporting brackets 22 and 23 which respectively support spindle clamps 24 and 25. Spindle clamp 24 is iixedly secured to bar 22 and is notched at 26 to receive spindle 14. Spindle clamp 25 is notched at 27 to receive spindle 14 and is reciprocably supported in bracket 28 attached to support bar 23 for movement toward and away from spindle 14. Clamp 25 is provided with a pusher angle bracket 29, to which is secured a threaded shaft secured to angle 29 in a manner which permits rotative movement ICC but does not permit axial movement, as for instance by a reduced neck passing through angle 29 and upset to form a head which prevents withdrawal thereof. Threaded shaft 30 is threadedly engaged with a threaded bore 31 in angle 32 which forms a part of the framework of the table 10, and terminates in a handwheel 33 which thus reciprocates clamp 25 upon turning the handwheel.

Table 10 is also provided with uprights 40 secured at their lower ends to brace 34 and secured intermediate their ends to respective bars 12. The upper end of uprights 40 are provided with pivots 41 which support upper lever arm designated generally as 42.

Upper lever arm 42 consists of rear side plates 43, arcuate downwardly concave main side bars 44, rear stop and connecting bar 45, front handle and connecting bar 46, intermediate connecting plates 47, and plates 48 which define a spindle receiving slot extending longitudinally of upper lever member 42. Plates 47 extend below the arc of bars 44 and support laterally spaced plates 48 which define a slot 49 to pass spindle 14 as upper lever 42 is lowered past point 15. Flat plates 48 press the carboard or other scrap material down over the point of spindle 15, as clearly shown in FIG. 1.

Upper lever 42 is counterbalanced by spring 50 which is secured to hook 51 on support 40 and to pin 52 on plate 43. It is prevented from rising too far by stop plate 45 interacting with brace 53.

Latch plate 54 on handle 46 is slotted at. 55 to receive a link of chain 56, slot 55 being suiciently narrow to prevent the next link of chain, at right angles to the link in slot 55, from slipping through the slot.` This serves to lock lever 42 in any position of elevation, but particularly to lock it in a position to compress the paper on spindle 14 against bars 12. Lever 42 is locked with the chain in that position to maintain the bale under cornpression while it is being tied. Chain 56 is secured at its lower end to table 10, as for instance by means of an eye or U-bolt 57 welded or bolted to the table.

The underside of the table is provided with a shelf 60 which carries string storage containers 61.

If desired, the sides of the table may be closed by side plates 62 on all four sides, openings 75 being left at the top so that strings 63 may be passed through the opening, around framing members 32 and 64, between members 12, to the bottom of spindle 14, in a manner which will be described.

The table may also be provided with casters 65, attached to lower table frame members 84.

The lower end of spindle 14 is slotted at 70 to receive a string attaching plate 71 which is pivoted to spindle 14 at 72 and is slotted at 73 to receive the ends of strings 63. Socket 21 which receives the lower end of spindle 14 is slotted at 74 to allow plate 71 to extend laterally when spindle 14 is within the socket.

In operation my device is placed adjacent to a source of scrap paper, such as the back room of a supermarket. In the past, cardboard boxes have been thrown loosely into an area of such a back room and later torn up, crushed, or otherwise prepared for baling and have been hauled away loose. Such an operation takes a great deal of space and time in the supermarket and requires that a contractor be paid to haul the paper away. Using the device of my invention, neat bales are produced which may be sold at a prolit rather than hauled away at a loss.

Furthermore, the operation of my device takes less time and less space than the previous method.

The device is prepared for operation by pulling strings 63 out of containers 61 through the opening 75 in table 10, over framing members 32 and 64 which define the sides of the table, between bars 12, and down to pivoted plate '71, where they are tied at slot '73. The spindle 14 is placed in socket 21 with plate '71 projecting laterally from socket 21 through slot 74. Handwheel 33 is rotated to force clamp 25 against spindle 14. The spindle is prevented from yielding to the pressure of clamp jaw 25 by clamp jaw 24 which is fixed to cross brace 22. Accordingly, spindle 14 is firmly clamped.

Whenever a box is emptied or paper is to be disposed of it is placed over point 15 of spindle 14 and the operator grasps handle 46 of the upper lever and pulls it down against the tension of counterweight spring 50 to force the paper A down onto the spindle. The exact position of the paper is not important but the framework of the device gives a general guide so that each piece is pierced at or near the center.

Upon release of handle 46, lever 42 rises under the bias of spring 50 until stop plate 45 engages brace 53. As the stack of papers A increases in height, a point is reached when a suitable sized bale may be produced. Handle 46 is then grasped by the operator and lever 42 is depressed until the bale is compressed between curved upper lever members 44 and curved table members 12. When the operator has compressed the bundle of papers A, the hooks chain 56 through latch plate 54 and slot 55 to retain upper lever member 42. He then rotates handwheel 33 in the direction which will release clamp 35 from spindle 14.

Spindle 14 is pulled upwardly through the stack of papers A. Pivoted string attaching plate 71 drops to a position in alignment with spindle 14 and follows it through the holes in papers A. Strings 63 are also pulled through the holes. Because of the height of members 12 above plates 11, there is space for string 63 to feed out of container 61 and through the center hole in papers A at all times, even when the bale is under compression as just described.

After withdrawal of the spindle from the bale the strings 63 are untied from plate 71. The operator reaches down to the side of the machine and grasps string 63 at the point where it emerges from opening 75 and brings it up to the top corner of the bale, where he ties it to the free end of string 63 which has been released from plate 71. When this has been done on both sides, it produces a bale having a cross-section as shown in FIG. 5. String 63 is cut between knot 76 and opening 75 in table 10 after which the bale is stacked with other such bales and the new ends of string 63 are tied to plate 71. Spindle 14 is then inserted in the socket and clamped in clamp 24-25 and the cycle is repeated.

It will be seen that applicant has provided a simple and effective means of storing and baling paper. The bale produced thereby has a relatively high degree of compression because of the leverage exerted by upper lever 42 and is secure against slippage because strings 63 extend through ahole in every sheet of paper and around diametrically opposite sides of the bale of paper A. It would, of course, be possible to add additional strings 63 for even greater security if the type of scrap being baled demanded it.

I claim:

l. A scrap baling device comprising a table provided with a central opening, a spindle extending through the central opening and having a pointed upper end extending above said table, at least a pair of receptacles for string respectively located adjacent to opposite sides of said table, string extending from said receptacles over said table through thecenter opening and down to the lower end of said spindle, means on the lower end of said spindle to releasably retain the string ends, releasable clamp means below said table to engage said spindle, and a slotted lever mounted above said table and adapted to force paper over said spindle.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said string end retaining means comprises a pivoted plate at the lower end of said spindle, said string being secured to said pivoted plate.

3. The device of claim 1, said releasable clamp further comprising a fixed jaw and an opposed movable jaw, said spindle passing through the jaws of said clamp, and means for forcing said movable jaw against said spindle to clamp it to said iixed jaw.

4. The device of claim l further including a generally upright standard attached to said table, said slotted lever being pivotally mounted on said standard and extending over said table, said lever further comprising spaced bars delining an opening through which said spindle may extend when said lever is in a lowered position.

5. The device of claim 4 further including an extension of said lever beyond said pivot point and a tension spring connected to act upon said standard and said extension.

6. The device of claim l in which said slotted lever is provided with a latching device at its outer end to secure it in any of a series of lowered positions.

7. The device of claim l in which said table and said slotted lever each further comprise laterally spaced arcuate longitudinally extending elements, said arcuate elements of said table being concave in an upward direction and said arcuate elements of said upper lever being concave in a downward direction.

8. The device of claim 7 in which said upper lever is provided with a pair of closely spaced plates secured to said upper lever in force transmitting relationship therewith whereby to apply pressure to a sheet of scrap material placed over said spindle without contacting said spindle.

9. A unitary paper storage and baling device comprising a table having side portions and a framework, side plates covering only the lower portion of said framework, laterally spaced arcuate top plates covering the side portions of the top of said table and having parallel inner margins defining a slot through said table, a pair of spaced arcuate bars at the inner margins of said top plates and bounding said slot, a pair of string storage containers within the space enclosed by said side plates, a cross brace extending between a pair of said side plates beneath and in alignment with said slot defined by said arcuate bars, a spindle receiving socket on said cross brace, said spindle receiving socket being slotted at one side, a spindle having a pointed tip, said spindle extending upwardly from said socket through said slot bounded by said arcuate bars to support the pointed top of said spindle above the level of said table, a spindle clamp above said socket and below said arcuate bars comprising a xed jaw and a reciprocable jaw, said xed jaw being .fixed to said framework and having a notch to receive said spindle in vertical alignment with said socket and said movable jaw having a notch to receive said spindle reciprocable to a position of vertical alignment with said socket against said spindle, support means extending above said table, an upper lever pivotally engaged with said support means and pivotable from a position above the tip of said spindle to a posiion below the tip of said spindle, string receiving means on the lower end of said spindle, and means for locking said upper lever in a variety of adjusted positions.

10. The device of claim 9 in which the tip of said spindle is removable.

l1. The device of claim l0 in which the tip of said spindle comprises a conical portion and a frusto-conical portion joined at their bases, the central portion of said tip being of substantially greater diameter than said spindle.

l2. The device of claim 9 wherein said string receiving means comprises a string receiving plate at the bottom of said spindle, said spindle being slotted to receive said string receiving plate, a pivot pin on said spindle engaging said string receiving plate, said string receiving plate eX- tending laterally through said slot in said socket when said spindle is in said socket, and a pair of strings extending from said string containers over said side plates and looped around said framework between said arcuate bars and down to said string receiving plate.

13. The device of claim 12 in which said means of securing said upper lever comprises a slotted plate on the upper lever and a chain secured to said table and engageable in said slot in said slotted plate whereby to maintain compression on a bale of paper impaled on said spindle.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Apr. 7, 

1. A SCRAP BALING DEVICE COMPRISING A TABLE PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING, A SPINDLE EXTENDING THROUGH THE CENTRAL OPENING AND HAVING A POINTED UPPER END EXTENDING ABOVE SAID TABLE, AT LEAST A PAIR OF RECEPTACLES FOR STRING RESPECTIVELY LOCATED ADJACENT TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TABLE, STRING EXTENDING FROM SAID RECEPTACLES OVER SAID TABLE THROUGH THE CENTER OPENING AND DOWN TO THE LOWER END OF SAID SPINDLE, MEANS ON THE LOWER END OF SAID SPINDLE TO RELEASABLY RETAIN THE STRING ENDS, RELEASABLE CLAMP MEANS BELOW SAID TABLE TO ENGAGE SAID SPINDLE, AND A SLOTTED LEVER MOUNTED ABOVE SAID TABLE AND ADAPTED TO FORCE PAPER OVER SAID SPINDLE. 